Yoga in Psychiatry: feasibility of a yoga-intervention for severely affected children and young adults with non-internalizing psychiatric disorders

Yoga-based interventions are increasingly being introduced to improve the lives of individuals with widely varying psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms. We developed a yoga-program for two severely affected populations at our psychiatric department: young adults with psychosis from our inpatient clinic, and children with severe developmental disorders and/or behavioral problems from our inpatient clinic or outpatient treatment program. The participants, clinic staff and yoga-instructors assessed the feasibility of our yoga program. They participated in evaluation meetings and gave feedback. Participants also filled in an evaluation form before and after every session. Results showed that our yoga-program is feasible for severely affected populations. The program can and should be tailored to meet the differing needs of individuals. Participants benefitted from and enjoyed sessions and reported feeling calmer, more goal-oriented and more relaxed after the sessions.

Healthcare utilization, psychiatric disorders, and physical illnesses shortly before suicide mortality in adolescents in Taiwan

Background This study examined the pattern of medical utilization and the distribution of comorbidities shortly before death among adolescents who died from suicide and compared these data with those of living controls. Methods From Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database, this study identified adolescents aged 10–19 years who died from suicide (n = 935) between 1 January 2000, and 31 December 2016, by linking each patient with the national mortality database. The researchers conducted a nested case–control study through risk set sampling, and for each case, 20 age- and sex-matched controls (n = 18 700) were selected from the general population. The researchers applied conditional logistic regression to investigate differences in medical utilization and physical and psychiatric comorbidities between cases and controls. Results Cases had a higher proportion of contact with the psychiatric department but a similar proportion of contact with any non-psychiatric medical department within 1 year before suicide compared with controls. There were 18.6% of adolescent suicide victims who only had contacted with a psychiatric department 3 months before suicide. Moreover, cases had a higher proportion of contact with non-psychiatric services within 3 months before suicide, particularly with emergency, surgery, and internal medicine departments. Cases had higher risks of several psychiatric disorders and physical illnesses, including heart diseases, pneumonia, and ulcer disease, than did controls. Conclusions The findings of increased medical utilization and higher risks of physical and psychiatric comorbidities in adolescent suicide victims are crucial for developing specific interventions to prevent suicide in this population.

Successful use of hypnosis for psychogenic hearing loss

B-naya S., born in 1944, student of the 1st course of the technical school, entered the psychiatric department of the Republican Clinical Hospital of the TASSR on 26 / XI-59 due to "deafness".

Embodied meaning-making in the experiences and behaviours of persons with dementia

Background The aim of the study was to explore and articulate how meaning-making appears and how meaningfulness is experienced in persons with severe dementia. Although there is little knowledge about meaning-making and experience of meaningfulness for this group, this article assumes that persons with dementia are as much in need of meaningfulness in life as any others, and hence, that they are involved in the process of meaning-making. Methods The study was conducted using a qualitative method with exploratory design. Ten patients with severe dementia at a specialized dementia ward at an old age psychiatric department in hospital were observed through participant observation performed over four months. The field-notes from the observation contained narratives carrying with them a dimension of meaning played out in an everyday setting and thus named Meaning-making dramas. The narratives were analyzed looking for expressions where experiences of meaning-making and meaningfulness could be identified. Results The narratives demonstrate that persons with severe dementia are involved in processes of meaning-making. The narratives include expressions of meaning-making, and of interactions that include apparent crises of meaning, but also transitions into what may be interpreted as meaningfulness based on experiences of significance, orientation and belonging. The role of the body and the senses has proved significant in these processes. The findings also suggest that experiences of meaning contribute to experience of personhood. Conclusions The relevance to clinical practice indicates that working from a person-centred approach in dementia care also includes paying attention to the dimension of meaning. This dimension is important both for the person living with dementia and for the people caring for them. Acknowledging meaning as a central human concern, it is crucial to seek understanding and knowledge about the significance of meaning in vulnerable groups such as persons with dementia.

Galantamine as Adjunctive Treatment for Ameliorating Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia Patients

Background: Schizophrenia is one of the most serious mental disorders presenting in adolescence. Antipsychotic drugs are the basis of treatment and clinical management of patients with schizophrenia. Despite the efficacy of risperidone as one of the antipsychotic drugs, about two-thirds of patients may experience both positive and negative symptoms during their life. Objectives: We evaluated the efficacy of galantamine as an adjunctive treatment for ameliorating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia patients. Methods: This is a randomized double-blind phase II clinical trial study carried out on schizophrenia patients admitted to a psychiatric department. The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups using the block randomization method. The intervention group received 24 mg galantamine plus 2 - 6 mg risperidone, and controls received 24 mg placebo along with 2 - 6 mg risperidone. Neurological tests included the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) at baseline and weeks 2, 4, and 8 after treatment. Results: We studied 28 patients. The mean age of the participants was 44 ± 3.1 and 47 ± 2.7 years in the placebo and intervention groups, respectively. The PANSS score significantly decreased over study time. The intervention group showed significantly greater reduction slopes than the control group (P = 0.034). Alogia (P = 0.0016) and attention (P = 0.0108) reduced more intensely in the intervention group than in the control group. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that galantamine could significantly affect the severity of the symptoms of schizophrenia patients. The findings suggest galantine as an appropriate adjunctive treatment for ameliorating negative symptoms, especially attention and alogia.

Depression and Anxiety Predict Healthcare Workers’ Understanding of and Willingness to Help Suicide Attempt Patients

We examined whether burnout, depression, anxiety, stress, lifetime suicidal ideation, self-efficacy in preventing suicide and demographic factors predicted the understanding of and willingness to help suicidal patients among hospital healthcare workers. A total of 368 healthcare workers from the major surgical and medical departments in a general hospital setting were recruited. Participants responded to the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Self-efficacy in Suicide Prevention, and Understanding Suicide Attempt Patient Scale. Those from the psychiatric department, with higher suicide prevention self-efficacy, and lower personal accomplishment indicated more understanding and helpful attitudes; doctors, depressed and anxious healthcare workers reported less understanding and helpful attitudes. Suicide prevention efforts must be conducted in tandem with equipping and supporting the healthcare workers who manage suicidal patients.